Innocent Love
by JungJaco
Summary: Kahlua Shuzen always does what she is told. It does not matter if she wants to or not. She never has any control and ends up hurting the ones she cares about. When trying to save her sister, Kahlua ends up capturing Tsukune.
1. I Do Not Know What To Do

I do not own Rosario + Vampire

* * *

Kahlua sat in the gardens at the Shuzen Castle. Her posture, always perfect due to her intense training. Her unique features always made her beauty stand out. She had brilliant red eyes, long blond hair and beautifully tanned skin. She always enjoyed sitting on one off the benches and listening to the trees sway slightly in the breeze, or the sound of the herbal infused fountain cascading all the way down from the top. Although, the one thing she enjoyed the most was the chirping of the happy birds that often nested in the tall trees.

The bench was incredibly uncomfortable, but she ignored the pain and remained still. Silently and motionlessly, she would observed the beautiful garden that she was quite fond of. She was a gorgeous statue, that only her long hair and white dress fluttered in the soft breeze. Despite her outer calmness and the serene surrounding Kahlua had never been more troubled. Her eyes remained unfocused as an internal war raged inside of her. Between the always structured obedience and the long suppress selfishness.

Kahlua was lost, she had no ideas what to do. She had always been told what to do and never disappointed. No matter how manny tears she shed, they did not care. No matter how much she begged, they did not listen. She was the perfect puppet and no matter how much she hatted it there was nothing she could do about it. She hatted them all, because they did not care about anything but power.

The only thing Kahlua really cared about was her sisters. She loves them and adores them and wants to protect them any way she can. She always dreams about them and the time they spent together as children. Kahlua always wanted to spend more time with them but such fantasies were quickly dissolved. Her mother made it quite clear to her that she did not have time for her sisters. That her sisters were unworthy, because of her own advanced training and social standing.

Kahlua Shuzen, is the oldest sibling to carry the Shuzen name and the heir to everything that it holds and all of the responsibilities that came with it. At a very young age her childhood was taken away from her and replaced with forced obedience. Always training to be the strongest and the most adept in everything she did. Kahlua trained long and hard but her mother always looked down at her and she could do nothing to impress her mother. Even when her hatred for her mother grew, she could not surpass Gyokuro's strength or skill, always to be a prisoner under her tyranny.

The sky began to darken as storm clouds began gathering around the majestic castle. A rare occasion, since the castle resides within a barrier of its own, that always maintains a perfect climate. The sound of the thunder or the flashes of lighting did nothing to stir Kahlua from her troubled state. The wind grew fierce and the birds no longer chirped and still Kahlua sat motionless in the garden.

The rain began to drop one by one and it was not until one landed on Kahlua's arm did she stir. Her eyes first focused on the drop on her arm and then the darkening sky above her. She did not give the strange occurrence a second thought as she calmly retreated back inside the castle. Many drops landed on her but she was good at ignoring pain, a part of her mother's training.

The castle was always well taken care of and always in perfect condition. The servants were well trained and always kept out of site unless called upon. So Kahlua always felt lonely when she walked through the castle. The only time it did not feel empty was when all of her sisters lived here with Akasha instead of Gyokuro. These were the best memories of her life, ones that she will always treasure. Memories that she preferred to dwell on instead of anything involving her mother. Thinking of her sisters kept her going and helped her survive her mother's training.

As Kahlua walked through the castle certain rooms would trigger fond memories of her sisters. She could almost see in the dimly lit rooms, images of Akuha, Moka and Kokoa playing with each other or sometimes fighting each other. Always fighting, Kokoa and Moka, Moka and Akuha, but no matter how much they fought the still loved each other. They all cared for each other and protected each other.

Kahlua made her way across the castle and started heading down to the lower parts of the castle. Parts of the castle where she was prohibited from going as a child. Places where she had no fond memories of. Her footsteps echoed across the cold dark hallways, as she relied on her well trained memory to navigate through the maze.

She came to a very thick iron plated door. Kahlua inserted a key which unlocked the door and removed the barrier around it. She stepped into the cold stone room. The room had a high ceiling that supported three large cast iron chandeliers that ran along ceiling. On both side of the long room ran an arrangement prison cells each supported with its own barrier. This is where her mother kept her prisoners and the room in the back is where she tortured them. It was a menacing looking door, stained in blood and covered with sharp iron spikes. Kahlua hated that room the most and if she had her way, she would never step near it again.

Kahlua approached the third cell on the left, the only cell that contained a prisoner. Unlike the rest of the castle, this placed smelled of blood and dust. A clear display of minimal cleaning and maintenance. Inside this particular cell was the sharp and overpowering smell of fresh blood. Kahlua eyed the victim in the cell and pitied him.

The intoxicating smell of his fresh blood that still poured from his recent wounds clouded her frantic mind and soothed her worries. He laid curled up on a small cot that was barley big enough for him. He had his back turned and lay motionless but Kahlua knew he was aware of her presence. Even if he wanted to, she doubted that he still had the strength to greet her. It took her a minute to clear her head from the smell of the blood, but when she did her mind was more at ease than before she entered the prison.

She had no idea what to do, so she came to the only person that she could talk to.

"She is dead, my mother is dead." Kahlua told him.

The silence dragged on and he did not stir from his cot. Tears started to well up in her eyes and she collapsed to her knees in front of the cell.

"Please help me. . .I don't know what to do." she cried and still the man did not stir.

Kahlua had always been told what to do and now that her mother was dead she, she was free, free and helpless. She was a child raised not to think for herself and her cries never gained any compassion, why did she think it would be any different from him, it was all her fault anyway.

"Please Tsukune. . .please forgive me!" Kahlua cried even louder.

"I don't know what to do. . .please tell me." she pleaded.

With much effort, Tsukune slowly turned over and dragged himself towards the barrier of his cell. With surprising strength he threw a simple wooden chair out of his way shattering completely. The loud clash started Kahlua who fell backwards on her hands. He forced himself to stand and looked down at Kahlua. She could only stare helplessly into his cold and emotionless face. His clothes were tore and caked in his own blood. His hair was unkept and and his face was gaunt. He did not release his gaze or show any sympathy for her distressed state.

"Please tell me what to do." Kahlua barley whispered.

"You. . .can let me go." Tsukune said, his voice corse and parched.

"I. . .I can't." she said.

[~][~][~]

(Six Months Earlier)

The Floating Gardens began plummeting towards the ocean, a great pillar smoke and fire trailing behind it. Gyokuro's plan to resurrect and control Alucard had failed. Moka and the others were escaping, along with the rosary that Gyokuro needed to control Alucard. Without it Alucard started destroying the ship that held him. The massive beast easily tore the floating structure to pieces. Many had perished and those that were left had already fled.

Gyokuro's furry grew as she watched the human boy place Moka and the rosary on one of the Fairy-Tail's airships. He had been the one that ruined all of her plans and destroyed everything she worked so hard for. Across the vast expanse of the Floating Gardens and thorough the flames and many tentacles of Alucard, Gyokuro could see the smug look of content on Moka's and Tsukune's faces. She did not know who she hated more, the pathetic human boy who ruined everything or the daughter of her greatest enemy, Akasha. She held her wounded arm and would have liked to kill them herself, but they were getting away and she would not be able to.

"Kahlua! Kill Moka now!" Gyokuro screamed as the airship began pulling away from crumbling heap of the Floating Gardens.

Kahlua had tears in her eyes as she broke off a stone spear from one of the nearby statues. She stood behind her mother and all Kahlua could think about was how much she hated her mother. With one quick stroke, Kahlua could easily end it right here, right now. . .but Kahlua always does as she is told. She easily lifted the heavy spear from her mothers back and towards the fleeing airship. She reeled back, and as she threw the spear something inside of her snapped, causing the spear to slightly alter course. Kahlua had no idea what happened or why, but she was glad that she was going to miss Moka. She would never forgive herself if she harmed any of her sisters.

The spear sailed through the sky towards the large, open cargo bay doors, where most of the escaping party stood. The spear punched a clean hole through the fire and smoke, moving at incredible speeds. Tsukune stood with his back turned towards the Floating Gardens on the edge of the cargo bay. They were all smiling broadly at their success and they were happy to be together again. They had succeeded after so much hard work and could go back to living their mostly normal lives at school.

A sharp whisper pierced his ears and the laughter of his friends died and their looks of joy quickly turned to looks of horror. Time seamed to dramatically slow down and he felt a warm wetness flowing from his chest and down his back. Tsukune looked down at the head of the spear that now projected from his chest. He looked up at his friends one last time before his vision began to go black. As he fell backwards he could hear his friends screaming his name then everything got very warm. . .and then nothing.

Kahlua watched as Tsukune fell backwards from the airship and the others rush to the edge. The Floating Gardens crashed into the ocean and enormous amounts of energy was released when Alucard came in contact with the water. The massive lighting bolts and the resulting explosion of fire and steam engulfed the falling body of Tsukune. Kahlua feared the worst when a massive bolt of energy hit the airship, but Touhou had erected a barrier around the ship to protect it. The barrier also prevented the other from escaping to rescue Tsukune. She could see Moka and the others pounding on the barrier. All of them were crying and staring into the rolling fire that had engulfed Tsukune.

Kahlua and Gyokuro raced to a nearby helicopter as the Floating Gardens began to quickly sink. They dodged the thrashing tentacles and ignored the ear shattering screamed of Alucard as he slowly and agonizingly died. Not far from the helicopter Kahlua could make out the limp body of Tsukune laying near some burning wreckage. Gyokuro followed her gaze and an evil smile appeared on her face.

"Bring him. . .he is still alive." Gyokuro said menacingly and Kahlua nodded.

Kahlua rushed to his side and roughly pulled out the broken head of the spear from his chest. She picked him up under the shoulder and carried him towards the helicopter. She unceremoniously deposited him in the back of the helicopter and took the pilot's seat. Kahlua started up the engines and they slowly took off. They stealthily escaped the Floating Gardens using the smoke and steam for cover. Kahlua did not look back until they were safely away from the wreckage. Off in the distance she could make out the large airship as it circled the wreckage of the Floating Gardens.

The small helicopter met up with and expensive yacht with a landing pad big enough for the helicopter. Gyokuro immediately exited the helicopter and retired to her personal quarters to frustrated to do much else. Kahlua brought Tsukune to her own quarters and laid him down on the bench seat. Kahlua was surprised to see him breathing considering the massive amounts of blood he lost.

She then removed his shirt to examine his wound. Where there should have been a noticeable hole in his chest, there was only a pink circle of newly healed skin surrounded by dried up blood. Kahlua was at a loss for an explanation. He should be dead and nothing she new of could heal that fast.

"Who are you?" Kahlua whispered to herself.

Something else started to become very noticeable and very distracting. The blood, the smell of his blood was just so alluring. The closer she got the more intoxicating it became to a point were she couldn't help herself. She leaned down low towards the crook of his neck and bit down. The reaction to the taste of the blood was immediately. She visibly relaxed and shamelessly moaned in delight at the wonderful taste.

"Moka. . ." Tsukune said still unconscious.

Kahlua immediately let go, a slight blush on her face.

"Moka? Your blood is delicious and addicting. Who are you?" Kahlua asked herself again.

"Moka must know about your blood and judging from your reaction she must have fed off of you many times, but you still came all of this way to save her. How close are you two if you would willing let her feed off of you?" Kahlua thought.

Kahlua began to feel terrible for taking Moka's friend, if he was not more, away from her. The only thought that made her happy was that at least Moka got away. Who knows what Gyokuro would have done to her, but then, who knows what she is going to do to Moka,'s friend. Kahlua had no idea why her mother wanted him, but whatever it is Kahlua did not want to know. Her mother's twisted pleasures went far and wide and on top of that he had just ruined her greatest plans. It was not likely that he would survive long, even if his body could his mind would not be able to.

Kahlua moved to the nearby drawers and pulled out a syringe and a small bottle. She stuck the syringe inside the bottle and filled it with the clear liquid. She stuck the syringe in his arm and slowly depleted the syringe.

"If you are lucky, that will kill you. If not. . .when you wake up, you will wish you were dead." Kahlua muttered softly.

She looked down at her bit marks on his neck. They still dripped drops of blood, so she leaned forward and liked the wounds closed. Tsukune's shot open and he bolted upright, startling Kahlua. They only had time to lock eyes before the drug took affect and he passed out again. Kahlua sat there stunned for a long time. She had never seen such kind eyes, it was a rarity she had not come across since she was a child.

It began to hurt, she did not want to this to happen. She did not want to hurt anyone, she never did. That's why she always cries when she has to kill someone. Kahlua walked over to her own bed and sat down. She tried to fight back the tears and avoided crying by thinking about the fond memories she had with her sisters when the were children. She laid down and forced herself to fall asleep.

[~][~][~]

Just like she had hoped for she dreamt about her sisters. Back to when the were all children and they had each other and Akasha. She was dreaming about the last birthday party they had for Moka at the castle when she was little. Kahlua had made her a giant stuffed bear and was so proud of it. Akuha had just given her a beautiful red dress and it was time to blow out her birthday candles on the very elaborate cake.

"Go ahead, make a wish." Akasha said to her.

"I wish. . .I wish that Kahlua would not kill my friends." Moka said slowly turning towards Kahlua.

Kahlua could only stare at her little sister, completely terrified. She had no idea what to do and her tears began to build up and she began to shake.

"Moka. . .dont be so cruel." Kahlua begged, tears starting to fall.

"I think you are the cruel one, Kahlua." Akuha said also staring her down.

"I. . .I am not!" Kahlua shouted through her tears.

"Kahlua always does what she is told. She doesn't care if it hurts us or not." Kokoa said ruthlessly.

"I do not! Stop it!" Kahlua cried.

"Always." Akuha said.

"Stop it!" Kahlua said collapsing to the floor crying.

"Always." Moka said as her three sisters and Akasha towered above her.

"STOP IT!" she screamed one last time.

* * *

Here is the fourth story in my collection. This story has been in my head for awhile and I had to write it down. It definitely came out a lot different then I had originally planned, but this is the only way I could make it work without drastically changing everything. Now there is going to be some rough parts but there will also be a lot of good romance parts as well. I am definitely going to play off of Kahlua's childless and innocence a lot after I get past the rough parts. This story I think is going to be pretty straight forward, not a whole lot of surprises.

I have twelve different Rosario +Vampire stories started and an additional eight ideas for Rosario +Vampire. It is really the only anime/manga that I am interested in writing in. I wish I had time to write everything in my head down. I know that I have not updated my stories as fast as I used to. It is not because I am not writing, it is because I am trying to perfect them, well as much as I can anyway.

Thanks for reading and reviewing. I look forward to what you think about this story and my others.

Happy Holidays!


	2. Please Forgive Me

Gyokuro and Kahlua arrived at the castle with the still unconscious Tsukune. He had survived the overdose and Kahlua knew what horrible fate awaited him. He was taken down to the dungeon, never to see the light of day again. Gyokuro had him strapped down to a large wooden table in the dreaded room past the prison cells.

"Kahlua. . .lets wake him up." Gyokuro said evily and handed her one of the small knives that was nearby.

"Yes mother." Kahlua said as she began to cry softly.

This was the only thing she hated worse than killing, and yet her mother did not care. Kahlua took the knife and thrust it into his hand, pinning it to the table. Tsukune's eyes bolted open and he screamed loudly. Kahlua could see her mother smile in satisfaction . In his pain he could not come out of his confused state and the drugs were still fogging his mind.

"Moka. . .Kurumu. . .Mizore" he gasped over and over, infuriating Gyokuro.

"Silence him!" she demanded.

What she demanded and what she wanted were two very different things and Kahlua understood what she had meant. For Gyokuro, screams of pain and anguish is her music for her relaxation. Kahlua took a second knife and thrust it into his other hand. Which effectively stopped Tsukune's muttering, but increased his screaming. It was then that his eyes were able to focus on the teary-eyed Kahlua and their eyes locked for a split second before she turned away.

"Where am I?" Tsukune grunted through the pain.

Gyokuro only had to give Kahlua a glance and Kahlua nodded obediently. She leaned over the table and ripped Tsukune's shirt down the front. Kahlua looked down in pity at his already scared body. Gyokuro tossed her a small heated blade from out of the fire and Kahlua caught it expertly by the handle. She held the glowing hot blade above Tsukune's chest and purposely let her tears fall on the blade. After years of unwanted experience, she plunged the blade just under his layer of skin. Tsukune's screams drowned out the sound of the burning skin and his hands clenched uselessly against the embedded blades. She removed the hot blade before it cooled off and placed it aside.

"Stand him up." Gyokuro demanded.

Kahlua went to the nearby wall and slowly turned a small crank that tilted the table up vertically. Tsukune's breathing was heavy, rough and sore. The blood continued to spill from his hands. Gyokuro slowly walked over and stood before Tsukune. Without warning she delivered a powerful blow to his midsection. Tsukune instantly coughed up blood, with some of it landing on the deranged vampire. She looked at him disgusted and and delivered a powerful blow to the side of his head, and then another, whipping his head back and fourth.

She continued to unless her fury on the helpless victim. Kahlua could hear his ribs breaking and see the dead look in his eyes. He had already passed out from the pain. Large dark bruising appeared all over his body from internal bleeding. Tears streamed down her face and she did nothing to stop them. She always cried when she was in this room. She hated the violence that her mother always subjected her to. She never wanted to cause pain or witness it. Kahlua lost track of the time of how long they were in the room. When Gyokuro finally gave the order to release him, they were both surprised to see that he was still alive.

"Interesting, I thought he would be dead for sure." Gyokuro said before leaving the room, unfazed that she had given him a fierce beating.

Kahlua was left to tend to the prisoner. Her tears had slowed now that they were done causing pain. She retired the table to its original position and removed the knifes from his hands. She examined him intensely, amazed that he was still breathing. She ran her hands gently over his skin, sensing all of his broken bones and ruptured organs.

"Moka, please forgive me." Kahlua said quietly as a few tears fell onto his chest.

Once again the smell of his blood started to entice her but she resisted as much as she could. Kahlua released his hand and very thoroughly licked his wound clean. Her saliva helping to seal the wound. Once she was done she proceeded to do so with his other hand. His blood was so delicious, she almost got carried away. She came out of her trance like state and gently laid his hand down. She looked down at him sadly, wishing she had miss them completely so he would not have to be here. She would rather deal with her mothers punishment than have her sister's friend hurt.

She grabbed a nearby wash cloth and began cleansing to blood from his body, with a bowl of warm water. She started with his face being as gentle as she could. He clearly had a fractured jaw and possible fractures in his skull. After she cleansed his face she stopped herself. She had never down this to any of the other prisoners and she wondered why. She decided he was special, because he was her dear sisters friend.

"I'll help you as much as I can. . .for my sister." Kahlua thought, knowing that she should keep such thoughts to herself.

She removed his shirt and continued to wipe the blood away. Bowl after bowl of dirtied blooded water she cleaned his body. The man that laid before her was beaten and badly damaged, but she could tell he was strong. Some of the smaller cuts had already healed and she thought some of the bruising had gone down. She gently picked him up and moved him into one of the cells. Kahlua laid him down on the hard mat and put his torn and bloodied shirt under his head. She then silently exited the room, locked the cell door and activated the barrier.

[~][~][~]

Kahlua had retired to her own bedroom and was currently laying on her bed holding a rather large stuffed animal very closely. Her mind was drifting off towards her happy memories that she once had with her sisters when they were kids. It was one of the only things that stopped her from crying. They were all very close to each other once, and she once foolishly thought they could be happy like that forever. She had been childish to think so, but she still held that believe very close to her heart. Although, she could not see it in the near future. So her fantasies remained in the past, in her childhood memories. She would almost routinely start with her oldest and fondest memory and work her way up to the day that Moka left the castle. It was that day that had changed everything. Kahlua wished she could go back and make Moka stay and keep Akasha from disappearing.

Something was different this night, something that troubled her greatly. Every time she would think of Moka, she would think of Tsukune. Every time she would think of Tsukune, she would think about how much Moka must hate her for taking him away from her. She truly was sorry for causing Moka so much pain, but it was still better than the alternative. It began to tear away at her from the inside and she began to cry again. She had done something that she never wanted to do, something that she alway dreaded might happen. She had created a rift between herself and her sisters.

"Please forgive me!" Kahlua cried into her pillow.

Her sisters were the only thing she had, but if they hated her, then she wasn't sure if she would ever stop crying. She had to make it up to them. She had to tell them that she was desperately sorry. Kahlua cried even more knowing how impossible that would be. Even if it was for hers sisters, she could not go against her mother.

[~][~][~]

The next morning Kahlua got up at exactly seven o'clock and showered in herbal water. Her clothes were already laid out for her, neatly pressed. She dressed herself like she always does, designed her hair in the same way as usual. Her natural beauty required little to no make up. Kahlua put on her tiara and looked like the perfect princess she truly was. Exactly forty minutes latter, she was walking out her bedroom door, completing her morning routine. A routine that she had done perfectly everyday for years, or since her mother came into her life. Exactly five minutes later she was sitting on her favorite bench in the Shuzen family's private garden. Next to the bench was a fresh cup of tea, on a neatly carved stump, with three very precise teaspoons of sugar, that arrived ten seconds before she did. For exactly ten minutes she enjoyed her cup of tea and the lush garden around her. Which gives her five minutes to get to the other side of the mansion.

The second the clock hit eight Kahlua was entering her mother's study to await her daily commands. She kneeled before her mother, keeping her head down and her posture was perfect. An unusually long silence followed but Kahlua did not move, perfect as a statue. Whenever her mother procrastinated like this, it usually meant that she was incredibly angry or really happy. Either way it was not good for whoever it concerned.

"So. . .how is are knew guest doing?" Gyokuro asked with a hint of malice in her voice.

"He has survived mother." Kahlua responded immediately.

"Quite incredible to withstand such a beating. Although, it would have been a shame if he was not able to _entertain_, us some more." Gyokuro said without remorse.

"Why not simple kill him mother?" Kahlua asked, hopping for mercy, but expecting none for Tsukune.

"The pathetic boy deserves no mercy from me! He will pay for crossing me!" Gyokuro said angrily, but Kahlua did not even flinch having expect such a response.

"Besides. . .we were having to much fun with him, don't you think?" she asked Kahlua.

"Yes mother." Kahlua answered without emotion.

"It is settled then. Schedule us some time for us to have fun with our new guest." Gyokuro said.

"Yes mother." Kahlua replied.

"That is all." Gyokuro dismissed her.

Kahlua stood up and turned around in one fluid motion. She silently exited the study. When she entered the dinning room, her food was brought out to her within seconds. She had a strict diet with supple amounts of fresh blood. She took her time eating, not having any urgent matters to attend to. When she drained the last drop of blood it did not seem be as satisfying as usual. As a matter of fact, it seemed distasteful compared to Tsukune's blood. She began thinking about how horrible it must be for him and how sorry she felt.

She remembered her promise from last night and grabbed a rather large and delicious looking apple. As always she never saw any of the servants, as she was on her way down to the dungeon. She knew they were there and that they would appear when needed. She entered the dungeon and proceeded to his cell. She looked at the sleeping figure on the hard simple wooden cot. Kahlua lowered the barrier. She slipped her hand through the bars and placed the apple on the wooden chair. Kahlua reactivated the barrier. She could see his deep, laborious breaths as he laid in the exact same spot she had left him. She thought of the apple as sort of an apology, and hoped that Moka would forgive her one day. Maybe one day he would also forgive her. Kahlua held onto that hope but did not believe in it. She knew she deserved no forgiveness for what she did, and for what was to come.

"My sister is so lucky to have such great friends like you. I am envious, but I wish only the best for her." Kahlua said sadly.

"Kahlua. . ." Tsukune whispered, his voice ragged.

Kahlua looked up at him in awe, then turned her head away in shame. Unlike the many other, she could not bear herself to look into his eyes.

"Kahlua. . .help. . .me." he barely whispered.

Kahlua started to tremble. She could hear him try to move, only to cry out in pain shortly after. She turned to leave but his voice had stopped her.

"Please Kahlua. . .help me." Tsukune asked her.

"I. . .I can't!" Kahlua said and dashed out of the room.

When she closed the door behind her, she collapsed to the ground. She held her knees tightly to her chest and started crying. Kahlua hated causing people pain. She had thought she was used to it, but she was trembling so badly. Her crying echoed throughout the dark corridor with no comforting response in return. That she was used to, always being alone. She did not know how long she sat there until it was reduced to quiet sobs. She wiped her teary face on her gloves and began ascending the stairs.

[~][~][~]

Her precision is perfect. Her strength is remarkable and her killer instinct is flawless. Very few could go against her and live. She is the perfect warrior, unaffected by emotions and kills without hesitation. She is respected and she is feared. The only thing she lacked was the grace that Moka had, which is impossible due to her constant crying. The only one not impressed with her skill is her own mother, one of the only few, who's skill surpasses Kahlua's own skills. She was doing her training in the courtyard while her mother watched unimpressed. Even though she easily dispatched all of her opponents. Kahlua did not even have to remove her rosary.

As always Gyokuro expected her to leave no survivors. Gyokuro always considered the weak, useless and expendable. Kahlua stood in the middle of the courtyard with the dead lying all around her. Many of the had a clean hole through their chest where their heart should have been. The blood pooled around her and dripped off of her hand. A slight breeze ruffled her remarkably unstained, white, flowing dress. Kahlua took off her long blood stained gloves and returned to her mother's side. A servant quickly gave her a new gloves and quickly departed.

"Kahlua, why do you waste my time?" Gyokuro asked.

"I don't understand mother." Kahlua said.

"Your progress in your training has ceased. In fact, today it seems to have gotten worse, why?" Gyokuro asked her calmly.

"I don't know mother." Kahlua answered honestly.

Without any warning Gyokuro viciously knocked her to the ground. Kahlua cowered in fear, her hand holding her cheek where her mother had struck.

"Do you not appreciate anything I have given you!" Gyokuro yelled at her.

"But mother. . ." Kahlua said crying.

"Silence!" Gyokuro yelled at her.

Gyokuro towered over her and Kahlua was deeply afraid of what she might do. She looked down at her daughter in disgust and great disapproval.

"Perhaps I haven't been hard enough on you." Gyokuro said venomously.

"You will do it again and you better have made an improvement!" she yelled at her daughter.

"Yes mother!" Kahlua said crying and hurried herself to the center of the courtyard.

She would make an improvement, she could not afford not to. Kahlua knew exactly what sort of punishment her mother had in store for her. She would do anything not to let that happen. She readied herself as multiple unknown foes appeared out of nowhere. They were all dressed in black as usual and had surrounded her. Even though the tears streamed down her face she was determined to do better. This time Kahlua did not wait for them to make the first move. She mercilessly and efficiently dispatched of them, hating every second of it. She had to push herself to do better but also had to remain in perfect control. Failing at either one of them would anger her mother greatly.

When she plunged her hand through the last one's chest, she was physically exhausted, but did not let her weakness show. She stood in the middle of the courtyard but did not look to her mother for approval, that would have just been another sign of weakness. It seemed like an eternity before Kahlua heard her mother turn and leave the courtyard. Only then did she relax and make her way to the study.

Always training her body and her mind. Always trying to reach the impossibly high standards set by her mother. She was the heir to the Shuzen family and anything less than perfect was unacceptable. Kahlua knew what she had to do and what was expected of her. Her mother would command and she would obey, never questioning and without hesitation.

The only thing she ever looked forward to anymore was when she got to see her sister Akuha. Kahlua hardly ever saw her other sisters since they went to Youki Academy. It was a rare occasion, because Akuha always had her own agenda, but she would enjoy her time with her older sister. It reminded her of the times when they all used to be together. Kahlua also suspected it was also the same for Akuha. It wasn't quite the same, but it was nice and relaxing. The short time they had spent together with Moka was almost a dream come true. Though the reality of it was that Moka was the prisoner and her two older sisters were her captors. A fact that all of them thankfully ignored when they were together.

Kahlua had suspected that Akuha had somehow persuaded Gyokuro to allow it. It was something she had always meant to ask Akuha about. Hopefully she would get to one day. She had not seen Akuha since the Floating Gardens were destroyed. Kahlua desperately hoped that all of her sisters were okay.

* * *

That was just a little taste of the rough stuff I was talking about. I have to get through it before I get to the good parts and finally solve the mystery of how Gyokuro died. So there is no confusion, all of these chapters will be about what happened during those six months. The story will eventually catch up and meld into the present. I also put in a little mystery about Akuha in at the end, but like I said, this is a pretty straight forward story.

I wanted to show that Kahlua is also a prisoner, maybe even more so than Tsukune. I am also trying to do this story completely for Kahlua's point of view. Which has proven to be difficult and takes a lot longer to write, but I'll get it down.

Thank you for reading and please review.


	3. Bonded By Blood

Tsukune's screams resonated through the halls of the lower levels of the castle. The servants and guards always kept their distance from the lower levels in times like this and they never dared to interrupt Gyokuro's sessions that she had. Kahlua was crying as she watched her mother break Tsukune's fingers one by one. Tsukune had asked her to stop over and over. He asked her what she wanted but the only answer he got was another broken bone. Not long into their session Tsukune had given up trying to reason with the deranged vampire. She would mock him and ridicule him and laugh at his despair. He was to weak from earlier to even put up a fight when Kahlua dragged him out of his cell and into this hated room. He had asked for her help again, but she didn't even dare say anything with Gyokuro right behind her. The session went on for over an hour as Gyokuro inflicted a variety of pain to Tsukune. Kahlua was at least grateful that her mother ahead not asked her to participate. She still had cried during the whole process and did her best to stop trembling. She had no idea why she was trembling, she had never been like this before.

When Gyokuro had finished venting her rage, Kahlua was charged with returning the prisoner to his cell. His body was broken and bleeding and Kahlua handled him with care. She laid him down in his cell and stared down at him. His was conscious but unresponsive. Tsukune's eyes were glazed and he stared right through her. She began to fear that his mind was going to be affected, that the pain was going to drive him insane. She had seen it before, were the prisoners become withdrawn and unresponsive. In some of the prisoners it was like their soul had been ripped from their bodies and they had become nothing more than a shell. At that point they were so detached that they would not even respond to any pain. Kahlua began to wipe the dried blood off of him and was again surprised to see his cuts already healing. She was marveled by his miraculous healing ability, but then again, it only made it harder for him to die. Kahlua knew that sooner or later he is going to wish that he was dead. She took her time and cleaned him with care. The smell of his blood was overwhelming her but she resisted causing him any more harm.

Tsukune did not say a word, he just stared at the ceiling with a blank look on his face. After she had wiped off all of the blood that she could, she remained sitting on the edge of the cot. Her gaze started wandering around the cell. There was quite a difference being on the inside of a cell than looking into one. Kahlua slightly shuttered and closed her eyes to wish away the bad feelings. She kept her eyes closed even when she felt Tsukune stir a little.

"Kahlua. . .help me." Tsukune groaned through the pain.

"Just try and think of a happy place." Kahlua said with her eyes still closed.

"Go somewhere that you can be happy. Imagine that everyone that you care about is there waiting for you." Kahlua continued to tell him.

"Everyone is smiling and playing. Forget about the pain, forget about the past and the present, just imagine their laughter and their happiness." she told him, still keeping her eyes closed and drifting through her own happy place.

"It is a place where we. . .you, can be safe and happy." Kahlua said with a gentle smile and a single tear falling from her face.

The two of them sat in silence for a long moment and it was Kahlua who opened her eyes fist. Without even looking back towards Tsukune, she stood up to leave.

"Kahlua. . ." Tsukune called out when she reached the cell door.

". . .thank you." he told her.

Kahlua closed the door and activated the seal. She gazed over at Tsukune, but he still had his eyes closed and the slightest smile on his face. She left the dungeon and headed to her favorite spot in the gardens.

[~][~][~]

Days went by with the same routine over and over again. Gyokuro never seemed to tired from torturing him. She even seemed amazed that he had survived some of their sessions, but that only pushed her to be more vicious. Kahlua never got a break from it, her mother expected her to be right by her side every step of the way. Like the sessions before, Kahlua cried every single time. Some days would be worse for her than others and she could not stop the trembling. After every session she would dress the serious wounds and wipe the blood away. The only thing that seemed to distract her, was the smell of his blood. She would not feed off of him because he was to weak, but sometime she would linger a moment longer. The smell would help her relax and distract her from her living nightmare. Some days she would leave him some extra food. On particularly brutal days, Kahlua would try her best to help him through the pain. She would talk about beautiful places she has been, or she would talk about precious memories that she shared with her sisters. She taught him some techniques to help him ease the pain, the same techniques she had to learn the hard way. It seemed so very long ago, but she still trembled in fear at the thought of it.

After each session she would go into her room or out into the garden. There she would forget about everything and try and find her own peace. She was well practiced at it and slipped into her fantasies very easily. It was during one her her daydreams in the garden that her mother had summoned her. She entered the room and presented herself to her mother. Gyokuro was sitting in her chair as usual, while Kahlua waited patiently for her mother. She finally unclasped her hands and turned towards Kahlua.

"Kahlua, I am departing within the hour to handle some business." Gyokuro told her.

"Would you like me to accompany you?" Kahlua asked.

"No, I grow weary of your presence." Gyokuro told.

"Yes mother." she responded.

"I will be gone for a few days. In the meantime you will send word to me immediately if Akuha gets in contact with you." Gyokuro said.

"My sister is alive!?" Kahlua asked, not able to restrain her happiness.

Gyokuro gave her a disgusted look and Kahlua regained her composer. Gyokuro dismissed her with a wave of her hand and Kahlua departed quickly. The whole time Kahlua was wondering if her sister was alive. Her mother had been very vague. The thought gave her joy. She immediately went to her room to celebrate. She jumped on top of her bed full of stuffed animals and hugged one very closely. She rolled around on her bed smiling and giggling. She hoped that she would see her sister soon.

She remained in her room until Gyokuro left, afraid that she might give her some horrible or terrible orders. She watched the helicopter fly out of sight almost holding her breath the whole time. The moment Gyokuro was out of sight Kahlua relaxed and collapsed on her bed. She stared at the ceiling for a long time until she decided to take a quick nap. During her quick nap she had a dream. She dreamt about Moka. She looked exactly the same as she had last seen her on the floating gardens. In the dream they were surrounded by beautiful flowers and trees. The sun was shinning brightly and Kahlua and Moka danced happily amount the flowers. It was a happy and beautiful dream, almost like her happy place when she was awake. The dream seemed to last for hours, but one single word brought it crashing down on her.

"Kahlua. . ." said a weak and haunting voice.

All of a sudden all of the flowers and trees disappeared and she was in a dark and cold place. She looked around in panic. She was surrounded by stone walls and iron bars.

"Kahlua. . .help me." Kahlua spun around quickly.

Her breath caught in her throat and fear gripped her. Inside of the cell in front of her was a weak and helpless figure. He was bloody and seriously wounded.

"Help me." Tsukune asked staring straight into her eyes.

Kahlua was scared and helpless and started trembling. She couldn't move, no matter how much he pleaded. She couldn't control her trembling and she couldn't look away. When Tsukune reached out for her she turned her head and closed her eyes, hoping this bad dream would go away.

"Kahlua. . .please help me." the voice of her sister called out.

Kahlua's eyes shot open and she looked in horror at the condition of her sister. Moka was now inside the cell that Tsukune had been in. Her hands were chained above her on the wall. She was bleeding and hardly moved.

"Kahlua. . ." Moka said in pain.

"Moka!" Kahlua screamed and rushed towards the cell.

Before she could reach the door of her cell she was stopped by the barrier.

"Moka!" Kahlua screamed as she pounded on the barrier.

She hit the barrier over and over but it would not falter. Kahlua desperately tried to remember how to deactivate it the barrier, but nothing she tried would work. She cried in frustration and she cried in fear. She collapsed to her knees and began to cry. She closed her eyes tightly and refused to open them. Then the voice of her older sister called out to her.

"No!" Kahlua screamed and shook her head vigorously.

"Kahlua." Akuha called out to her again, but Kahlua refused to open her eyes.

"Kahlua wake up!" Akuha screamed.

Kahlua was ripped from her nightmare and woke to find her older sister staring down at her. She was breathing heavily and covered in sweat. The moment she regained her senses she blotted up and hugged her sister fiercely. Akuha yelped in surprise and fell backwards onto the pile of stuffed animals.

"I'm so glad you are okay. I was so worried!" Kahlua cried hugging her sister even harder.

"Kahlua, stop, I can't breath!" Akuha gasped out.

Kahlua reluctantly let go of Akuha and sat back on her feet. She wiped her tears away and mumbled an apology. It was only then that Kahlua noticed that it was well into the night already. Akuha recovered herself and sat next to her sister.

"Where have you been?" Kahlua asked her.

"I have been with Moka." Akuha told her simply, shocking Kahlua.

"How, is she?" Kahlua asked in a shaky voice, but Akuha did not answer.

"Does she hate me?" Kahlua asked.

"Moka hasn't said a word. Her friends and her are all grieving over that stupid human. Even Kokoa has become withdrawn and secluded." Akuha told her.

"The obnoxious one is convinced that he is still alive, but she is only making it worse." Akuha told her.

"Would Moka be happy if she had him back." Kahlua asked, but she already knew the answer.

"She would be better off if she just moved on, someone strong enough to keep her from crying all of the time." Akuha said venomously.

"Akuha. . ." Kahlua began.

"They found me when they were looking for him. I woke up in Yokai Academy with the Dark Lord sitting across from me. He made me an offer." Akuha told Kahlua.

"He told me I could stay as long as I wanted, that I could be with Moka. He didn't tell me what he wanted in return." Akuha said and then looked Kahlua in the eyes.

"What I am saying is I will no longer be a part of this family if Moka is not. I came here to bring you back with me, we are sisters we should stick together. I know it would make Moka happy." Akuha told her.

Kahlua began to tear up as she processed what her sister told her. If Akuha had changed sides then she would never see her again, unless it was as enemies. Kalua could never disobey her mother and betray her. She started to cry openly and Akuha had her answer. She moved forward and hugged Kahlua tightly.

"It's okay. I understand." Akuha said as she caressed her.

"I'll come back for you when I'm stronger, but right now please forgive me." Akuha told her.

Then everything went black and Kahlua fell back into a deep sleep.

[~][~][~]

It was daytime when Kahlua awoke. She sat up frantically and looked around. Akuha was long gone, she must have known Gyokuro was looking for her and waited for her to leave. She started to tear up again. She didn't have the chance to tell her that Tsukune was still alive. She felt miserable knowing that Moka was in pain because of her, even Kokoa must hate her she thought bitterly. After she was done crying she followed her mother's orders and had informed her that Akuha had shown up but was long gone by now. Gyokuro seemed angry and informed Kahlua that she would be back within a day. It was only then that Kahlua prepared herself for the new day.

When she was presentable she went down to eat. She could only stare at the food in front of her. She was not hungry at all, even the blood was not enticing. She sat there until her breakfast got cold. She did not want to think about the bad things so she didn't think at all. She was like a flower that had lost its scent. All she could do was sit there and look pretty. She felt so alone that it began to hurt. No one was here for her, she had been abandoned and it was all of her fault. She soon found herself drifting off towards the garden. She sat in her usual spot and looked up at the sky. Kahlua vaguely watched the birds fly by. She wished she could be free and happy like the birds, but she was a flower that could only watch enviously from the ground. After the birds were gone she found herself drifting off through the castle without paying any attention. She did not care where she was going and did not remember where she had been. She was wandering, looking for something but not knowing what. Then suddenly the answer came to her in a bright contrast of colors. Sitting on a table in front of her was a bowl of bright red apples. Their color drew her attention and she tentatively reach out for one. She stared at the shinny apple, almost seeing her reflection.

"Tsukune. . ." Kahlua whispered looking at the apple.

Suddenly her world came crashing back into reality and all of her thoughts and feelings flooded back into her. Without a second thought she made her way down into the dungeon, to the only person she had left.

Kahlua entered the prison but paused when she came to his cell. She had no idea what she was doing. All she could do was stare at him helplessly through the bars. When she realized that she still had the apple in her hands she made up her mind. Kahlua lowered the barrier and unlocked the cell door. She walked up to Tsukune and looked down at him. She jumped slightly when his eyes shot open. He looked at her questioningly and she stumbled to find words.

"I um, brought you an apple." Kahlua said smiling and showing him the apple.

Tsukune seemed to relax when he realized that he was not going back into that room. He tried to sit up but groaned in pain and fell back down. She tried to hand him the apple but he did not even have the strength to raise his arms. Kahlua saw the problem and quickly came up with a solution.

"I'll be back." she told him.

She left the cell and went back up to the kitchen and grabbed a knife. When she came back down Tsukune was laying on the floor in pain. She rushed into the cell not realizing she had forgotten to lock it up. She picked him up and he started coughing up some blood. Kahlua laid him black down on his cot and got a rag to wipe off the blood. The intoxicating smell of his blood started to overwhelm her again but she resisted. She started cutting up small bits of apple and fed it to him. It was hard for him to chew but she waited patiently. After the last bite she had to shake her head to clear her mind from the smell of his blood.

"Thanks." Tsukune said weakly.

Kahlua nodded still staring at him in a daze. Suddenly Tsukune began to laugh but stopped quickly from the pain. Kahlua looked at him strangely not knowing what was so funny.

"You are just like Moka. Whenever you smell my blood you both go into a daze and stare at me hungrily." Tsukune told her.

"Oh, um, sorry." Kahlua said looking away shyly.

"It's okay." Tsukune said.

"Huh?" Kahlua asked looking back at him.

"Go ahead." Tsukune said tilting his head and pulling down his as much as he could.

"You mean you would willingly let me feed off of you?" Kahlua asked amazed.

"You fed me, it's the least I could do." he said with a smile.

Kahlua blushed slightly but couldn't resist anymore. She leaned over him and placed her fangs above the crook in his neck. She lightly nipped at his neck but the moment his blood hit her tongue she bit down harder and moaned out in delight.

* * *

I think this chapter was a great developmental part of the story. I have been trying to find a way to progress the story forward so it works with what I have planned. I think this chapter turned out great for what I want. In the next chapter I will progress their relationship even farther and soon the story will catch up to itself.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I know I enjoyed writing it. Pleas leave a review, I like to know what my readers think about my stories. If you have any questions please feel free to PM me.

Thanks for reading!


	4. Strange Feelings

When Kahlua reluctantly released Tsukune from her grasp she sat up and delicately like her lips. Even the tiniest remnant of blood was more than enough to send a pleasurable rush throughout her body. It lifted all of her terrible burdens off her already troubled mind. It became easy to forget the world outside and enjoy the peaceful moment of serenity.

The silence drag on as Kahlua remained in her peaceful state. When she reopened her eyes she could feel all of those burdens crashing down on her. Kahlua tried to hold back the tears but all of the guilt and loss of her most lovable sisters tore away at her. She cried silently and turned her back to Tsukune hoping he wouldn't notice. The tears stung as they slowly fell from her face.

She almost didn't notice that Tsukune had grabbed ahold of her hand. It felt warm and reassuring. Kahlua wiped her tears away and turned to face him. Tsukune looked how she felt, completely miserable. Though somehow, he managed to smile. Right then she knew why Moka cared for him so much. It was that gentle smile and his caring soul that made her feel that everything was going to be okay. That he somehow knew that happier days were around the corner. Or that he was going to take her to a land of paradise and freedom. A beautiful place that she had always fantasized about. Everything about Tsukune seemed to make her happier, his delicious blood, his gentle smile and his warm touch.

She quickly turned away and was perhaps blushing for the first time in her life. It was a new experience for her that she did not quite understand. Kahlua quickly removed her hand and held it close. She did not know what to do so she just sat there in silence trying to sort out these new feelings. She finally passed it off as having drunk to much of Tsukune's blood. When she finally regained the courage to turn back around Tsukune had already fallen asleep. She blushed again for feeling so silly and sat in the silence a little longer.

Even though they had not said much Kahlua was already feeling much better. She only wished the same for Tsukune. Even as he slept, every breath that he took looked like it was causing him a great deal of pain. She placed her hand on his forehead and blushed again at the simple act. She quickly deduced that he was burning up, but she couldn't move from her position and was becoming flustered with these strange feelings. She quickly thought that she might be getting sick. It would explain the butterflies in her stomach, her pounding heart beat and the tingling sensation she felt.

Tsukune let out a pained gasp and Kahlua finally removed her hand. She quickly retrieved a cool wet towel and placed it on his forehead. He seemed to breath easier and relax a bit and Kahlua sighed in relieve. She remained sitting by his side having nothing else to do. Even in this cell with no one to observe her, she still kept a perfect posture. Her hands were folded in her lap as she stared at the stone floor. Her mind kept wandering off towards Akuha and her recent visit. She was glad that she was okay and that she was able to see her. Then the more she thought about it the more she realized that she might not be able to see her ever again. Any hopes or dreams that she had to be reunited with her sisters seemed to fade away into nothing. She was falling into the darkness again, straight to the bottom of all of her regrets. Each day it would get a little darker and each day she would fall a little farther. She only wished that someone would reach out and. . .

"Eek!" Kahlua screamed suddenly when Tsukune's hand grabbed hers.

She looked around wildly not knowing how much time had passed. She quickly realized that Tsukune was still holding her hand and she looked at him worriedly. His eyes were open and looking at her with concern, as if she had been the one who had been tortured daily for weeks. He never said a word but his concern was evident. Kahlua couldn't understand how he could be so nice and caring, when she was the one who had caused him so much grief. Kahlua sharply pulled her hand out of his grasp.

"Why? Don't you hate me? Why do you keep looking at me like that?" she asked unable to understand.

"Because. . .I do not believe you are a bad person." Tsukune said painfully with his signature smile.

Kahlua was stunned. After everything she had done to him and his friends, he did not think she was a bad person? She had never considered herself to be anything different. She had almost forgot to breath when all of her restraints came crashing down. Even her perfect posture faltered as she pitched forward and buried her head in Tsukune's chest and she cried. She cried as loud as she wanted to, and did not care who heard.

"I never wanted to do all of those bad things!" Kahlua cried into his chest as she gripped his shirt.

"I never wanted to hurt anybody!" she continued.

Kahlua could feel Tsukune's hand tentatively reach out for her. She continued to cry as she began to break down. She told him about all of the terrible things she had done and about all of the people she had hurt. She told him all about her terrible mother and how she only wanted to be with her sisters. The whole time Tsukune was gently patting her back, coaxing out all of long pent up emotions. After what seemed like hours Kahlua finally cried herself to sleep on top of Tsukune.

[~][~][~]

Kahlua awoke from a very restful sleep. It had been a long time that she had not been plagued with nightmares. The only problem was that her bed seemed to be very uncomfortable. Her pillow was soaked and she had fallen asleep with her dress on. Kahlua bolted upright realizing that she had accidentally overslept. She relaxed somewhat when she realized her mother would not be back until later in the day. Then her unfamiliar surroundings soon began to confuse her. It took her a moment to realize that she was still in Tsukune's cell. She almost did not want to look when she could hear him breathing right next to her. Thankfully Tsukune was still asleep as she quietly made her way out of his cell. Kahlua did not even look back because of how embarrassed she was.

She quickly changed her clothes and made herself perfect for the new day. Kahlua was sitting in her bay window keeping an eye out for her mother's return. She was clutching one of her favorite stuff animals to her chest. Her usual anxiety of encountering her mother was nothing compared to these strange feelings that she was experiencing. Even though she knew she should be worried about her mother's arrival, she could not stop thinking about Tsukune. He had been so nice to her when she did not even deserve it. Then she had to do something stupid by keeping him up all night crying when he desperately need the rest.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Kahlua chided herself and squeezed the stuffed animal even harder.

She was supposed to be helping Moka's friend, not placing all of her burdens upon him. Even though she was incredibly embarrassed, she felt relieved. She was grateful to be able to share her burdens with him. Kahlua just hoped that he still liked her after everything that she had told him. The more she thought about it the more worried and confused she became, and she still did not understand Tsukune at all.

She had been so distracted by her thoughts that she did not realize her mother had arrived until she was walking up the steps. Kahlua snapped out of her daze and rushed downstairs. She narrowly missed tripping over her dress as she made it in time to greet her mother.

"How was your trip mother?" Kahlua asked.

Gyokuro only took a brief second to acknowledge her daughter's presence. Kahlua watched her mother pass her and head straight into the study. Gyokuro never said a word and her face remained expressionless. She was unable to read her mothers emotion. If Gyokuro was mad at her then she is surly planning some sort of punishment for her. Kahlua waited quietly incase her mother was going to summon her. She glanced over to a decorative suit of armor. It was polished enough that she could see her reflection. A few strands of hair were hanging out loosely under her tiara. Kahlua quickly fixed her hair and hoped that her mother did not notice.

A few minutes later her mother finally called her into the study. Kahlua entered the room and perfectly presented herself to her mother. Now that Kahlua could observe her mother more, Kahlua could see that she was tense. It was a clear sign that she was angry about something. Perhaps she was angry that Akuha had managed to get away. Whatever it was, Kahlua knew what was going to happen next. She would most likely go and vent her rage on Tsukune. The thought of it made her tremble slightly. She hoped her mother had not noticed as she demanded perfection.

"Kahlua, I need to ease some tension." Gyokuro said, confirming what Kahlua already knew.

"Go down and pre . . ." Gyokuro started.

"How about a sparing match mother?" Kahlua said almost instantly without thinking.

Gyokuro looked at her mildly surprised as she considered Kahlua's offer. Kahlua did her best to remain motionless as she tried to process what she just did. She had never offered to spare with her mother. She hated to fight and her mother knew that. It was only out of instinct that she had offered in hopes to save Tsukune from her wraith. She did not know what was happening to her but the thought of Tsukune suffering anymore was unbearable. Maybe if she could just divert her attention for a few days Gyokuro would forget about Tsukune.

Kahlua formulated her whole plan almost instantly to take advantage of her blunder. All Gyokuro had to do was take her up on her offer without any suspicions.

"A sparing match would help me relax. That is, if you can keep up." Gyokuro said with an almost sinister smile.

"I will do me best mother." Kahlua announced.

They both proceeded out of the castle and into a clearing nearby. They distanced themselves and Kahlua tried not to let her fear show. Everything was quiet except for the slight breeze that rolled through the nearby trees.

"Since this is a friendly sparing match, there is no need to remove our limiters." Gyokuro said as she stood in her fighting stance.

"Of course mother." Kahlua said also getting into her stance.

In almost a blink of the eye Gyokuro disappeared, and Kahlua barely managed to lift up her arm to block her first attack. She was however, not so lucky with the next one. Kahlua was sent flying from the force of her mothers kick. Kahlua managed to land on her feet as she skidded backwards several more yards. She was immediately alert and ready for another attack. Out of instinct Kahlua rolled to the side a Gyokuro crashed down into the spot she had just vacated and leaving a considerable crater. Gyokuro pulled her hand out of the ground and shook the dust off of her clothes.

"I underestimated you Kahlua. I might actually break a sweat." Gyokuro said as she and Kahlua both got ready for another round.

Kahlua remained silent as her mother looked at her oddly for a second before disappearing again. This time Kahlua was not able not able to block as Gyokuro's fist connected with the side of her head. Kahlua went spiraling through the air. Her hands came in contact with the ground first as she used her momentum to push off the ground, twist her body and land on her feet. Without even a moment to breath Kahlua was bending over backwards to dodge Gyokuro's vicious kick. It sailed through the air just above her.

"She is so fast!" Kahlua thought.

Kahlua regained her balance just as Gyokuro's fist connected with her midsection. Kahlua doubled over and Gyokuro followed up with an elbow strike to the back of her head. Kahlua could not see clearly as she fell to her hands and knees creating a small crater from the force of the impact. Kahlua blindly raised her arm and was luckily able to block a kick aimed for her head. She went flying sideways as she used her instincts to land on her feet again.

She swayed on her feet momentarily as she took a moment to let her vision clear. She knew she was vulnerable but Gyokuro had not taken advantage of it. She was allowing Kahlua to recover.

"Are you ready? I was hoping this would be more entertaining." Gyokuro said as she stood in front of Kahlua with her arms crossed.

Kahlua's head stopped spinning as she focused on her mother.

"Yes mother." Kahlua said as she readied herself again.

Kahlua was already panting heavily and was ignoring all of the pain she was feeling. She had to make sure that Gyokuro was completely satisfied or she might want to hurt Tsukune next. Kahlua did not know why, but she was determined to protect Tsukune.

[~][~][~]

They continued to spare a few more rounds, but by the end of it Kahlua was barely able to stand. Kahlua was brushed all over and bleeding in a few spots. Gyokuro on the other hand only seemed to be warmed up and did not have a single scratch on her. Kahlua was amazed by her speed, strength and endurance as it was just another reminder of how powerful Gyokuro is.

"That was enjoyable while it lasted. Perhaps you should get rested, you look worn out." Gyokuro said with a smirk as she returned to the castle.

"Yes mother." Kahlua barely managed to say before she collapsed to the ground.

Kahlua laid in the soft grass for a while unable to move. She was breathing heavily and it hurt to move, but she was at least happy to distract her mother away from Tsukune. She only hoped that her mother would not want any more entertainment for a while.

She laid in the grass until it started to get dark. Kahlua struggled to her feet and slowly made her way back inside. When she got to her room she was thankful that a hot bath was waiting or her. She barely managed to slip out of her clothes before she slipped into the herbal infused water. The hot water stung as it touched her various cuts, but after a while the hot water started melting all of the pain away. She closed her eyes as she leaned back and soaked in the hot water.

It was almost to relaxing, the only thing she knew that would make it better is if she could drink some of Tsukune's blood. She shook her head violently at the thought of it. It would have been to selfish of her to keep taking his blood. She quietly pouted as she sunk deeper into the water.

"But it's so good." Kahlua mumbled as she splashed some water around with her fingers.

She was lost in her thoughts and too utterly exhausted to do anything. Her eyes began to flutter from fatigue. Kahlua sat up slightly to try and stay awake. She was just so tired and the hot bath felt so good. So she thought closing her eyes for a few minutes wouldn't hurt. She leaned back again and closed her eyes. It was so comfortable just to let the hot bath work its magic.

Without even meaning to, she started thinking about Tsukune and how good his blood tasted. Maybe she would ask for some tomorrow, just a little bit. Suddenly she heard movement in the water and felt someone holding her. She quickly opened her eyes in surprised.

"Tsukune!" Kahlua cried out in alarm.

He smiled gently down at her as he slid in behind her. She quickly covered herself and looked away.

"W-what are you doing here?" Kahlua said blushing profusely.

"I came to check up on you. Did Gyokuro do that to you?" Tsukune asked as he gently touched the cut on the side of her head.

"It was just a sparing match." Kahlua said as she pulled away from him blushing even more.

"You didn't even fight back." he said sadly.

"H-how do you know that?" Kahlua asked timidly.

"Why did you fight her?" he asked.

"Because. . .I didn't want her to hurt you." Kahlua said quietly.

She started to curl up in a ball too embarrassed to face him. Kahlua had no idea what was going on and was completely overwhelmed. She had never been in a situation like this before. Kahlua was nervous and scared.

"Kahlua?" he said.

"Yes?" Kahlua barely squeaked.

"Would you like some of my blood? It will help you relax." he offered her.

After a minute she nodded her head and slowly turned around. Tsukune tilted his neck as she got closer. She timidly bite down and let the blood wash over her tongue. It was exactly the way she remembered it. . .except that it was spongy and tasted like soap.

Kahlua woke up in a cold bath chewing on a luffa. She sat up and looked around and then down at the luffa. She spit it out but still had the soapy taste in her mouth.

"It was only a dream." Kahlua said as she relaxed, almost disappointed.

Kahlua got out of the bath and dried herself off. Then Kahlua proceeded to get ready for bed. Even if it was only a dream, she could not stop thinking about it. She then began to worry about him and decided she would go check on him tomorrow.

* * *

This story has definitely become the hardest to write out of all of my stories for some reason. I'm not sure exactly why, I like writing this story as much as my others. I have it all planned out. It is just the little things that seem to be the problem.

Also, I was not expecting what happened at the end of chapter at the end of chapter 63 in the manga. So now I feel that there is more pressure for this story, since it is one of the few Kahlua stories. I'll do my best to make it a great addition to the FanFiction.

Thank you for reading and please leave a review. Seriously, the reviews help and keep me focused on writing more. The longer the review the better.


	5. Mercy

For the following week since her mother had returned from her short trip, Gyokuro wold regularly request a sparing match from Kahlua. It was something she soon began to dread. Every morning she would prepare herself for the sparing match. Every morning she would wake up sore from the night before. Every morning she would find herself sprawled out in the dirt in fatigue and pain. Her mother never showed mercy and never appeared to even break a sweat. Kahlua took great comfort when her body refused to move anymore. Were she had pushed herself so hard that all it could do was lay motionless in the grass.

Each day only seemed to get worse, and the sessions seemed to get longer. There were so many times when she could have stopped, when she could have said no or had just given up. No matter how much she may have wanted too, Kahlua could never give anything less. The thought never even crossed her mind. Even as she laid sprawled out on the ground, ever second was spent trying to regain control of her own body. It would refuse her plight for up to a couple hours and even then she could barely move her fingers. All she could do was watch the grass grow in front of her.

One single blade of grass stood out above the others. A single imperfection in a place of perfection. It was barely noticeable, but Kahlua's trained eye saw everything. She would have plucked it out of habit, had she been able to move. She laid in the grass in pain. Her mind soon began to wander from old memories to dreams of the future. The places she would travel in her own fantasies became the paradise that she had always wanted. She was free to do what she wanted. She could sleep in late, have all of the stuffed animals she wanted. She would laugh and play with her sisters. The best part is she would never have to hurt anybody.

Something was different today. There was something missing in her always perfect fantasies. Kahlua could not figure it out. She knew she could be happy with her sisters, but know it did not seem like enough. How could she want anything more? Kahlua did not understand what this feeling was but it scared her. She was the worlds deadliest assassin and she was afraid. Her heart began to beat faster and her body began to tremble. Kahlua had always been able to find her own happiness. Even on the saddest days she could bring herself to smile. Now something had taken it away from her and she did not know how to get it back. A slight movement caught her attention and she came out of her trance. Her eyes focused on a praying mantis on an inch away from her nose.

"EEEEEK!" Kahului screamed and rolled away from the terrifying bug.

She sat up in the grass and grabbed her nose with both of her hands. After she had managed to calm down she managed to stand up on shaky legs. Then in one fluid motion she regained her perfect posture and stopped her aching muscles from shaking. No matter how much it hurt she walked off of that field with as much grace as she had walked on to it. Kahlua was at least satisfied that her mother had made no more trips down into the dungeon. She had been saddened though that she had only made one trip herself to go see Tsukune. He was asleep then and still recovering but she had entered anyway and sat on the edge of his cot for as long as she dared.

She walked into the castle and let her own feet carry her. Before she realized it she was at the foot of the stairs that led down into the dungeon. Kahlua did not know how she got there. She was hoping she would be in her bed, or at least a hot bath right now. She glanced around the room neveously. No one was around and she scampered down the stairs before anyone could see her. She walked through the maze with only one person on her mind. When she reached the door she looked around before she entered. The one person she had wanted to see this entire time was actually sitting up in his cell. When Tsukune saw her he sat up straighter in his cell. Kailua was greatly relieved that he was feeling well enough to sit up in his cell. She approached his cell and he smiled at her and she gave him one in return. Without giving it much thought she lowered the barrier and opened the cell door. The moment she stepped across the threshold her body swayed greatly and her vision went black. The last thing she remembered was falling into a pair of strong comforting arms.

[~][~][~]

Kahlua woke up to a loud bang, followed by another and another. She peeked open her eyes and could see Tsukune standing at the front of the cell. He was rubbing his right hand and staring at the cell door in front of him. He swung at it with all of his might only for his fist to collide with the barrier. Kahlua tried to move but only gasped out in pain. Tsukune quickly turned around knelt down by her side.

"Kahlua, are you okay?" Tsukune asked worriedly instinctively grabbing her hand.

Kahlua could feel her body heat up at the contact and she quickly became light-headed.

"I-I'm fine." Kahlua stuttered trying to stop the blood from racing to her face. S

he tried to sit up but only gasped in pain agin. Tsukune put his hands on her shoulders and forced her to lay back down. He stared intently at her with worry and she looked away shyly. He was so close and he smelt so good. It just made her burn up even hotter.

"You need to rest. You seem pretty injured." he said gently.

"I'll be fine." she muttered trying to sit up, but he pushed her down again.

He looked so worried about her and she did not want to upset him anymore. She remained laying on the bed. He was so close his scent was making her dizzy. Her thin lips parted slightly and her eyes glassed over. Even the touch of his hot breath against her skin made her instincts burn with desire. Her hands had silently traveled their way up behind him. The instant he tried to move away Kahlua caught him in her grasp. She pulled him roughly down on top of her and lunged for the delicious blood in his neck. Tsukune let out a cry of alarm and flailed his arms around uselessly. The moment his blood splashed against her tongue she let out an almost erotic moan of pleasure. His blood seemed to taste even better than before and she quickly thought it must be addictive.

Tsukune stopped struggling and allowed her to drink his blood. Kahlua could even feel his heart beating, pumping his blood through his veins and into mouth. She started to relax and her grip began to lessen. She suddenly came back to her senses. Her eyes shot open and she released him immediately.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to suck your blood without asking first!" Kahlua said quickly and pushed herself away from him.

"It's okay, really. I was just a little surprised is all." Tsukune said with a bright smile, scratching the back of his head.

Kahlua was reassured, but she still felt terrible for not asking for permission. Drinking his blood did make her feel a whole lot better. Her muscles ached a little less and the pounding in her head was almost gone. Kahlua caught herself staring and quickly looked away. His body was so lean and gaunt now. There was so many scares but Kahlua still had to say that he look fairly handsome. She remembered her dream and quickly shook her head and blushed in embarrassment.

"Were you in a fight?" Tsukune asked her.

"Yes, I was sparring with my mother." Kahlua said looking down sadly.

Tsukune moved in closer to her, slightly startling Kahlua. Tsukune glanced around before he looked back at Kahlua.

"Kahlua, lets get out of here. We can go together." Tsukune told her.

"Tsukune I. . ." Kahlua said, not making eye contact.

"You are not happy here and I know you miss your sisters." he contined.

"Tsukune I can't." Kahlua said, tears were starting to form in her eyes.

"You won't ever have to be sad again. You will make so many new friends and I know that your sisters still love you very much." he told her.

"Please stop." Kahlua whimpered, a few tears falling from her face.

"Kahlua, don't you want to be happy? Don't you want to see your sisters again? We can leave right now." Tsukune said desperately.

"Tsukune! Please stop!" Kahlua said now finally looking into his eyes.

Her tears were cascading down her face and Tsukune's surprise looked like he had been physically struck. He sighed in defeat and looked down at the floor while Kahlua cried quietly next to him.

"Tsukune?" Kahlua said, but only cried harder when he did not look up at her.

"Tsukune please forgive me! I can't do it! Please don't ask me to!" she cried even harder.

"You can't or you won't?" he asked her.

Kahlua turned deathly pale and started cry freely. It just hurt too much to know that he was suffering and that there was nothing she could do to help him. She bolted from the bed but only made it halfway across the cell before Tsukune stopped her by the hand.

"Wait Kahlua. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry." Tsukune told her still holding onto her hand.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry." he said and pulled her into a hug.

Kahlua wrapped her arms around him and cried on his chest. He was so warm and she felt safe in his arms. She wished that he would never let go, no matter what. After a few minutes she began to regain control of herself.

"I'm sorry too." Kahlua said through her choked sobs.

Before Tsukune could say anything Kahlua knocked him unconscious with a strike to the side of his neck. He collapsed into her arms and she laid him down on his cot. She was still crying when she left his cell. Kahlua had to help him, but she did not know how. Her mother would never allow it, but she had to ask her for mercy. Mercy was the only thing that was going to save him.

[~][~][~]

It took Kahlua at least another week to gain the courage to confront her mother. She had been sparing with her mother daily and had not returned to see Tsukune. He was always on her mind now and she was determined to ask her mother for mercy. Kahlua knew that Gyokuro was happiest in the mornings. Kahlua woke up earlier than usual to make sure she was perfectly presentable and to solidify her nerves. She was still weak and sore from the sparring matches but nothing was going to stop her. Kahlua arrived in her mother's study and knelt before her.

"I don't recall summoning you." Gyokuro said distantly.

"You did not mother. I came to make a request of you." Kahlua said perfectly calm.

"Oh?" Gyokuro said with mild interest.

"Please grant Tsukune Aono mercy. I believe he has suffered enough and would never cross you again." Kahlua said as best as she could.

"Really? Well I do feel like being merciful today." Gyokuro said smiling down at Kahlua.

Kahlua could not believe what she was hearing. She could have kept for joy, but she remained perfectly calm.

"Why don't we go see him right now." Gyokuro said with a gleam in her eye.

"Of course mother." Kahlua said and followed her out.

They arrived down in the dungeon. Kahlua could see Tsukune sit up apprehensively. She smiled slightly so only Tsukune could see. Tsukune looked back and fourth between Gyokuro and Kahlua. Kahlua stopped in front of his cell with Gyokuro standing behind her. Kahlua could see a wide range of emotions displayed across Tsukune's face. The most dominate was probably anger and fear. Kahlua just hoped that he was not angry at her. Kahlua approached the door and Tsukune stood up. She could not help but smile but Tsukune only relaxed slightly.

"Tsukune, Gyokuro has decided to grant you mercy." Kahlua said, failing at her attempts to remain emotionless.

"You mean. . .?" Tsukune said with disbelieve and kept flickering his eyes between.

"Yep! Mother said she was going to set you free!" Kahlua said almost giggling with joy.

Kahlua could also see his doubts. She could not have blamed him for what he has been through. Then he solely focused on her and Kahlua blushed under his gaze. They were both interrupted by a polite cough from Gyokuro.

"Kahlua dear, I would appreciate it, if you would not lie to our guest." Gyokuro said glaring at Tsukune.

"Wha. . .what do you mean mother?" Kahlua asked, suddenly very scared.

Kahlua was shaking. She did not understand. Gyokuro said she would grant him mercy. Her eyes were darting around frantically trying to understand. At last she looked up Tsukune and his sad expression brought tears to her eyes.

"I said I would grant him mercy, not that I would let him free. I will grant him mercy and let him die. He will rot in his cell until he starves to death." Gyokuro said with a vicious smile.

"But mother you can't!" Kahlua said turning around on her mother.

Kahlua was instantly backhanded by Gyokuro and fell to the floor.

"And YOU will be his replacement for my entertainment!" Gyokuro screamed at her trembling daughter.

Kahlua tried to curl up in a ball to hide from her wrath. Gyokuro grabbed her by the throat and smashed her against the barrier of the cell. Kahlua tried to break her mothers grasp but she was just too strong. Gyokuro was crushing her throat and Kahlua could not breath. Kahlua could hear Tsukune screaming at Gyokuro and pounding on the barrier behind her.

"You don't think I haven't noticed you little rendezvous? You have disappointed me Kahlua and have been quite disobedient!" Gyokuro said and threw her down the hall.

Kahlua collapsed against the wall and fell forward. She was gasping for breath and her vision was blurry.

"Mother please! I am sorry!" Kahlua cried as Gyokuro approached her.

Kahlua screamed as Gyokuro picked her up by the hair. Gyokuro kicked open the blood stained door and threw Kahlua into the chamber. Kahlua could see Tsukue watching in horror from his cell. He was screaming out her name and cursing Gyokuro. Gyokuro then grasped both of Kahlua's wrists, almost breaking them, and clasped very thick and rusty handcuffs on her. She connected the handcuffs to a chain and lifted her off the ground. Kahlua hung limp as the tears fell down her face. She could see Tsukune staring at her and she wished that he wouldn't.

"This is for you being disobedient!" Gyokuro said and smacked Kahlua across the face with great force.

"This is for me wasting my time on you!" Gyokuro said and smacked her across the other side of her face.

Kahlua had lost all hope and began to lapse into her shell to search for her happy place. Immediately images of her sisters flooded her mind and her expression went blank.

"Trying to hide are you?" Gyokuro said menacingly.

Gyokuro went to the small cabinet on the wall and pulled out a small vile with a creamy white liquid in it. Kahlua saw what her mother had retrieved and screamed and thrashed terribly. She was still hanging in the air as pure terror took over. She knew what the vial was. It could only be described as your worst nightmare. Gyokuro calmly strolled forward with the vial in her hand. Kahlua could not even think rationally enough to beg for forgiveness.

"You have been a bad girl Kahlua and you need to take your medicine." Gyokuro said menacingly.

Kahlua tried to jerk away from her. Blood was pouring down her arms as her wrists cut up by the rusty iron. Gyokuro forced her mouth open with one hand and poured the vial in and forced her to swallow it. Kahlua stopped struggling and cried. She could hear Tsukune in the distance, getting farther and farther away. Gyokuro's laugh echoed around her, tormenting her. Her world began to spin and the darkness began to swallow her up. Spasms of pain would rack through her whole body. She screamed and screamed until her throat began to bleed.

Sometimes it felt like she was drowning in holy water. Other times it felt like she was being eaten alive or burning from the inside out. Her rational mind had been long gone. All she knew now was pain and fear. Time had escaped her. It soon felt as if months and years had passed by. It was a never ending cycle of despair and anguish. Horrible images of everything she loved and cared for played in front of her. She could see them even when she closed her eyes. The tears never stopped falling and the pain never went away. The last thing she remembered was Tsukune being tormented in front of her.

"Tsukune! Tsukune! Tsukune!" Kahlua screamed over and over.

* * *

I have been reading a lot of other fan fiction lately and I really do not like how Kahlua is represented in a lot of them. She is more than just some ditzy assassin. It is true that her character is not very well developed in the manga, and now might not ever be, but I try my best.

Lately I have solely been interested on working on this story. Maybe it is because I feel pressured to write a good Kahlua fic since what happened recently in the manga.

I hope you all I joyed this chapter. It was a little heavier than usual at the end but I enjoyed writing it. Thank you for reading and please review.


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